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NBA Power Rankings: Bucks, Lakers lead the contenders

By Dylan Jackson

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 06: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks is guarded by LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers, the leaders of this week's NBA Power Rankings. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 06: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks is guarded by LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers, the leaders of this week's NBA Power Rankings. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 27: LaMelo Ball #2 of the Charlotte Hornets poses for a portrait during Media Day at Spectrum Center on September 27, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 27: LaMelo Ball #2 of the Charlotte Hornets poses for a portrait during Media Day at Spectrum Center on September 27, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

NBA Power Rankings: Tier 3, The Middle-Ground-ers

13. Los Angeles Clippers

Look, I know the Clippers are going to be without Kawhi Leonard. But, with that said, their roster is still incredibly talented and held its own in the Western Conference with an otherworldly Paul George.

14. Portland Trail Blazers

Damian Lillard is an incredible basketball player, and I’d love to see the Blazers acquire Ben Simmons while only parting with CJ McCollum. Whether that happens is up to Daryl Morey, but they can offer a package that most teams can’t – one that would give them the ideal guard to have next to Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris.

15. Chicago Bulls

As I said in the intro, I’m most intruiged by the Bulls this season. Their backcourt can do pretty much everything. I understand concerns about their spacing, but the quartet of Vucevic/LaVine/Ball/DeRozan is a good one.

16. New Orleans Pelicans

I can’t consider the Pelicans a playoff team until proven otherwise. The Pelicans are fun, and Devonte’ Graham is a fun player in place of Ball. If the spacing in New Orleans is better than last season, maybe the Pelicans improve.

17. Washington Wizards

THE WASHINGTON WIZARDS GOT BETTER AFTER THE RUSSELL WESTBROOK TRADE.

There, I said it. This is the best Wizards team that we have seen since their 4th-seeded season in 2016-17. It’s clearly been a while, but I’m a believer in the core of Spencer Dinwiddie/Bradley Beal/a bunch of young forwards.

18. Memphis Grizzlies

Jonas Valanciunas is a really tough loss, and the Grizzlies’ spacing got a lot worse after adding Steven Adams, Eric Bledsoe, and Ziaire Williams. I don’t know whether Memphis’s player development will outpace those particular losses, but they did show promise last season, especially against the Utah Jazz in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

19. New York Knicks

The New York Knicks were especially impressive from a defensive standpoint last season. Julius Randle’s progression was incredible, and RJ Barrett looks fully worth the top-5 draft pick used to acquire him in 2019. With that said, they didn’t do much to get better – while the rest of the Eastern Conference seemingly improved.

20. Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets were the NBA’s league pass team last season. And honestly, they became even more fun to watch after the additions of Kai Jones, James Bouknight, and Kelly Oubre. Whether it translates to winning remains to be seen. Depth was the weak point of the Hornets last season, and that almost certainly improved.

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